Human brain- nature's marvel

What is it that differentiates humans from other animals? The answer is straightforward, it is our brain. In this post we will present some interesting facts about this marvelous computer created by nature. After reading this post, you will look at that curly organ inside your cranium with more respect. Did I just say look at your brain? I am really not sure whether any living person has literally done so but we will leave that topic right now and focus on wonders of this best supercomputer.

Our brains are much smarter than supercomputers-In the year 2013, Japan's K computer, which is still world's fourth most powerful supercomputer, was used to mimic human brain. But even with its 83,000 processors, it could mimic just one percent of one second's worth of human brain activity and it took 40 minutes to do so. Human brain consists of more than 100 billion neurons and these are connected by well over 100 trillion synapses. A neuron fires around five to fifty times every second. Each neuron is connected to around 40,000 synapses. Obviously, it would take some time before man made supercomputers can even match this natural computing powerhouse. Till then, we need not worry about supercomputers (with brains superior to human brains) replacing our race or enslaving us.

Human brain consumes and generates huge energy- Human brain is only about 2% of body's weight but consumes 20% of oxygen and energy. Such high energy is required for large number of calculations which it carries out. It produces about 12-25 watts of electricity. It would be so convenient if you could charge your mobile phone from your brain's electricity through some neural charger. But this energy sucked from your brain might lead to some part of it going down due to shortage of energy. So, caution is advised.

Ten percent brain usage myth- Some people say that we use only 10% of our brain. This is simply a  myth and has no scientific basis. Brain scans have shown that we use most of our brains most of the time. So, forget about that magic pill which will turn you into a super genius by enabling access to all your brain's potential.

Dehydration affects our brains quickly- This is because 73% of human brain is actually water. So, losing water from your body can also lead to your brain losing memories. But this not a very smart way to get rid of bad memories because dehydration not only effects your memory but also your attention and cognitive skills.

Human brains are now shrinking- We normally think that human race is getting smarter and our brain sizes must be increasing. But this is not true. From early primates to Homo sapiens, the brain has grown. But this increase in brain size stopped with neanderthals. The average brain size has now been shrinking over the past 28,000 years. We are not even getting smarter. Average IQs have been going down 1.6 points per decade. So, it is only our phones which are getting smarter, not us.

Congratulate your brain, it just read few amazing facts about itself. We know now better, how much our grey matter matters. 

Links and sources-
http://bebrainfit.com/human-brain-facts/
http://www.factslides.com/s-Brain
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evolution_of_the_brain